Your Top 10 Favorite Classical Purchases Of All-Time

[(poco) Sforzando]

I forgot to add my piano keyboard scarf, purchased at least 30 years ago from I can't remember where. But they are easily available over the Internet for anyone who wishes to buy one. I am on the whole an indifferent dresser, but this is the one article of clothing I own that invariably draws favorable comments (especially when I tell people I can use it to make music).

[André]

I know ahead of doing it that this won't stop at 10  .

These are recordings (many OOP) that have never been matched (IMHO of course). Hell, I don't want them to ever be matched! That would be like watching a hallowed idol toppled off its pedestal...

So, in no particular order:

- Bach: St-Matthew Passion, Mogens Wöldike. Vanguard
- Bruckner: Helgoland, Wyn Morris. IMP Pickwick
- Bruckner symphony no 8. Böhm, WP, DGG
- J. Strauss: waltzes (transcr. by Berg, Webern, Schoenberg): Ensemble 13 Baden-Baden, Manfred Reichert. HM
- Haydn: Missa Cellensis. Gerhard Wilhelm, EMI Electrola
- Sibelius: symphony no 1. Stokowski, National Philharmonic, Sony
- Sibelius: symphonies 3 and 5. Rozhdestvensky, Moscow Radio, Melodiya
- Pettersson: 2nd violin concerto. Ida Haendel, Herbert Blomstedt. Caprice
- Dvorak: symphony no 9. Böhm, WP, DGG
- Dvorak: symphonic Poems. Zdenek Chalabala, Czech Philarmonic, Supraphon
- Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen. Elly Ameling, Jörg Demus. HM
- Tchaikovsky: symphony no 1. Tilson Thomas, Boston Symphony, DGG
- Félicien David: Le désert. Lauren Equilbey, Accentus. Naïve
- F. Couperin: Messe pour les paroisses. Michel Chapuis, HM.
- Brahms: piano concerto no 1. Gilels, Jochum, BP. DGG
- Brahms: violin concerto, Michèle Auclair, van Otterloo. Philips
- Brahms: symphony no 3, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony, Sony
- Alain Vanzo (tenor): arias recital. Vogue
- Mado Robin (soprano): stratospheric coloratura, Decca
- Maria Callas: Callas à Paris. EMI

That's 20 

[Baron Scarpia]

More crème de la crème ..

Dowland, Complete Lute Works, Paul O'Dette (Harmonia Mundi)
Faure, Complete Solo Piano, Jean Doyen (Erato)
JS Bach, Brandenburg Ctos (Pinnock/Archiv); (Carlos/Columbia)
JS Bach, Complete Organ Works, Michel Chapuis (Valois)
JS Bach, Mass in B Minor, Harnoncourt (Telarc)
JS Bach, Partitas (Schiff/Decca); (Gould/Sony)
Debussy, Orchestral Works, Boulez (Sony)
Barborelli conducts Wagner (Vanguard)

..

Couldn't help notice a typo and ambiguity. Harnoncourt recorded the Mass in b-minor for Teldec (rather than Telarc) twice. Which version were you referring to?  (I realize this was a year ago.)

In any case, I couldn't begin to answer this question...

[vandermolen]

I know ahead of doing it that this won't stop at 10  .

These are recordings (many OOP) that have never been matched (IMHO of course). Hell, I don't want them to ever be matched! That would be like watching a hallowed idol toppled off its pedestal...

So, in no particular order:

- Bach: St-Matthew Passion, Mogens Wöldike. Vanguard
- Bruckner: Helgoland, Wyn Morris. IMP Pickwick
- Bruckner symphony no 8. Böhm, WP, DGG
- J. Strauss: waltzes (transcr. by Berg, Webern, Schoenberg): Ensemble 13 Baden-Baden, Manfred Reichert. HM
- Haydn: Missa Cellensis. Gerhard Wilhelm, EMI Electrola
- Sibelius: symphony no 1. Stokowski, National Philharmonic, Sony
- Sibelius: symphonies 3 and 5. Rozhdestvensky, Moscow Radio, Melodiya
- Pettersson: 2nd violin concerto. Ida Haendel, Herbert Blomstedt. Caprice
- Dvorak: symphony no 9. Böhm, WP, DGG
- Dvorak: symphonic Poems. Zdenek Chalabala, Czech Philarmonic, Supraphon
- Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen. Elly Ameling, Jörg Demus. HM
- Tchaikovsky: symphony no 1. Tilson Thomas, Boston Symphony, DGG
- Félicien David: Le désert. Lauren Equilbey, Accentus. Naïve
- F. Couperin: Messe pour les paroisses. Michel Chapuis, HM.
- Brahms: piano concerto no 1. Gilels, Jochum, BP. DGG
- Brahms: violin concerto, Michèle Auclair, van Otterloo. Philips
- Brahms: symphony no 3, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony, Sony
- Alain Vanzo (tenor): arias recital. Vogue
- Mado Robin (soprano): stratospheric coloratura, Decca
- Maria Callas: Callas à Paris. EMI

That's 20 

I should have chosen that recording of the revelatory Pettersson VC 2 on my list as well. Also I have a soft spot for MTT's 'Winter Daydreams' recording.

[Papy Oli]

I'll have a go :

1) Mahler 1st symphony / Maazel / Wiener Phil - The Stürmisch Bewegt movement was the first movement unlocking the Mahler world to me.

2) Mahler complete symphonies / Bertini - The set that unlocked all the symphonies (bar the and generated the subsequent onslaught of cycles

3) The yet unstarted 4-Volume De la Grange  Mahler biography (after most of the others) - The recently purchased expensive cherry on top of the chocolate sauce on top of  the whipped cream on top of my favorite cake in my favourite bakery feeding that obsession.

4) Bruckner / Celibidache cycle - Classical music and particularly works like those symphonies were a strong test of my initial attention span. Celi's versions were ultimately the most rewarding in this respect.

5) Satie / De Leeuw - Gymnopédies / Gnossiennes - Even slower was possible in this classical world without a loss of impact or emotion.

6) Scarlatti / Scott Ross - Fast and bonkers can be pretty exciting and thrilling too

7) a concert ticket for my first time seeing the Quatuor Mosaïques, opening my mind and ears to chamber music and particularly string quartet

Another concert, this time with Melnikov Trio, spending the concert mesmerized by the sound of Queyras' cello.

9) Loewe: Songs & Ballads (Boesch) - the power of the voice and lieder at an unexpected Snape concert where Goerne (due to play Winterreise) pulled out.

10) Arvo Pärt - Kanon Pokajanen (ECM) - desert island disc topper.

[James]

Berg Vln Cto (DG) - Mutter/Levine.

[Daverz]

For some reason, it started coming out box sets, so I stuck to the theme.  These are box sets that would get "distinguished service" medals in my collection.

Haydn: Symphonies - Fischer

[asin] B0000666AF[/asin]
Long my goto set for pre-Paris symphonies.  Though I'd probably recommend the Davies set these days, I still have a soft spot for Fischer and his band.

Silvestri: The Collection



This old Disky set is is now replaced by a superior and expanded Warner box, but it did introduce me to this conductor.

Kurt Sanderling: Legendary Recordings.  Has his Shostakovich, Sibelius, and Mahler with the Berlin Symphony.



This assemblage is long OOP, but I think you can still find all these recordings on various Brilliant and Berlin Classics issues.  I love the sound of this orchestra and the East German recordings.

Beethoven: String Quartets - Juilliard Quartet

[asin] B00006OA6A[/asin]
OOP again, unfortunately.  I love the sound of this ensemble and the old 60s recordings.

Bruckner: Symphonies - Jochum/Dresden SK



My first serious introduction to these symphonies.  Superseded by various Warner boxes, including one of Jochum's EMI recordings.

Beethoven: Piano Concertos - Fleisher/Szell

[asin] B0000026GM[/asin]
Some of the oldest CDs in my collection, and still my favorite complete cycle, I think.

Martinu: Symphonies - Neumann

[asin]B000025R9R[/asin]
Perhaps no longer the default recommendation it once was, but I still keep coming back to these recordings.

Reicha: Complete Wind Quintets - Schweitzer Quintet
[asin] B000001RXQ[/asin]
Hours of bliss.

Zelenka: Orchestral Music; Trio Sonatas - Camerata Bern

[asin] B001MUJSWS[/asin]


Berwald: Symphonies - Goodman

[asin] B00000300O[/asin]
I'd probably go for the Ehrling/Bis set these days, but the Goodman set was an excellent introduction to the whole Berwald cycle.

[vandermolen]

I know ahead of doing it that this won't stop at 10  .

These are recordings (many OOP) that have never been matched (IMHO of course). Hell, I don't want them to ever be matched! That would be like watching a hallowed idol toppled off its pedestal...

So, in no particular order:

- Bach: St-Matthew Passion, Mogens Wöldike. Vanguard
- Bruckner: Helgoland, Wyn Morris. IMP Pickwick
- Bruckner symphony no 8. Böhm, WP, DGG
- J. Strauss: waltzes (transcr. by Berg, Webern, Schoenberg): Ensemble 13 Baden-Baden, Manfred Reichert. HM
- Haydn: Missa Cellensis. Gerhard Wilhelm, EMI Electrola
- Sibelius: symphony no 1. Stokowski, National Philharmonic, Sony
- Sibelius: symphonies 3 and 5. Rozhdestvensky, Moscow Radio, Melodiya
- Pettersson: 2nd violin concerto. Ida Haendel, Herbert Blomstedt. Caprice
- Dvorak: symphony no 9. Böhm, WP, DGG
- Dvorak: symphonic Poems. Zdenek Chalabala, Czech Philarmonic, Supraphon
- Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen. Elly Ameling, Jörg Demus. HM
- Tchaikovsky: symphony no 1. Tilson Thomas, Boston Symphony, DGG
- Félicien David: Le désert. Lauren Equilbey, Accentus. Naïve
- F. Couperin: Messe pour les paroisses. Michel Chapuis, HM.
- Brahms: piano concerto no 1. Gilels, Jochum, BP. DGG
- Brahms: violin concerto, Michèle Auclair, van Otterloo. Philips
- Brahms: symphony no 3, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony, Sony
- Alain Vanzo (tenor): arias recital. Vogue
- Mado Robin (soprano): stratospheric coloratura, Decca
- Maria Callas: Callas à Paris. EMI

That's 20 

Just received the MTT 'Winter Daydreams' on CD  - a wonderful performance.
The opening here sounds like the beginning of Nielsen's 5th Symphony!

[André]

Great, Jeffrey ! A beguiling, bubblicious work, with MTT and the bostonians playing with such obvious relish.

[vandermolen]

Great, Jeffrey ! A beguiling, bubblicious work, with MTT and the bostonians playing with such obvious relish.

Yes, Andre it's wonderful and, guess what, whist sorting out my CDs I discovered another copy of it ( ). Maybe my daughter would like it as she's becoming more interested in classical music - a great disc in all respects with lovely cover art.

[André]

Yes, Andre it's wonderful and, guess what, whist sorting out my CDs I discovered another copy of it ( ). Maybe my daughter would like it as she's becoming more interested in classical music - a great disc in all respects with lovely cover art.

Happened to me a few times. I don't trust my memory anymore, so I get up and double check before hitting the red button  .

[The One]

- Gilels/Ludwig Beethoven PC 4 & 5
- Kleiber/VPO Beethoven No 5 & 7
- Lucchesini Beethoven Piano Sonatas
- Gilels Beethoven Piano Sonatas
- Perahia/Haitink Beethoven PCs
- Perahia/ECO Mozart PCs
- Perahia/ASMF Bach Keyboard Concertos
- Moravec Chopin Nocturnes
- Zimerman/Ozawa Rachmaninoff PC 2
- Du Pre/Barbirolli Elgar CC

I'll think of and compile a HIP exclusive list, too

[vandermolen]

Happened to me a few times. I don't trust my memory anymore, so I get up and double check before hitting the red button  .

Your collection is obviously better organised than mine! Luckily Amazon have a feature which states 'you bought this CD in 2016' etc. which has saved me on numerous occasions. 

[Undersea]

The last few years I have been collecting Composer Editions/Masterworks type boxes - Some of these items have given me a lot of pleasure and could be considered top purchases:



Debussy Edition - DG




Haydn Complete String Quartets - Naxos




Mahler The Complete Works - Warner




Olivier Messiaen Edition - Warner




Ravel The Complete Edition - Decca




Shostakovich Edition - Brilliant Classics




Shostakovich All Symphonies - Melodiya




Sibelius Edition - DG




Tchaikovsky Masterworks - DG




Wagner Der Ring Des Nibelungen - Decca

[amw]

to expand my list from the other thread:

Brahms - String Sextets Nos. 1 and 2 - L'Archibudelli [Sony Vivarte]
Tchaikovsky - Suite No. 3, Serenade for Strings - Kirill Kondrashin & the Moscow Philharmonic [Melodiya]
Bartók - String Quartets Nos. 1-6 - Juilliard Quartet [Columbia] [1963]
Schumann - Kreisleriana & Kinderszenen - Martha Argerich [DG]
Schubert - String Quintet D. 956 - Taneyev Quartet & Mstislav Rostropovich [Westminster]
Beethoven - String Quartet Op. 130/133 - Hagen Quartett [DG]
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-32 - Paul Badura-Skoda [Naïve Astrée]
Janáček - String Quartets Nos. 1-2 - Panocha Quartet [Supraphon]
Schubert - Piano Sonatas D. 958-960 - Andreas Staier [Teldec]
Schubert - Symphonies Nos. 1-8 - Frans Brüggen & the Orchestra of the 18th Century [Philips]
Shostakovich - String Quartets Nos. 1-15, Piano Quintet & Trio - St. Petersburg String Quartet [Hyperion]

I think that's 10.

This is assuming "favourite purchases" refers specifically to recordings. If it's all classical music-related purchases in general, I don't think any recordings would make it into the top ten.

[Biffo]

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde - Klemperer/Philharmonia & Ludwig and Wunderlich
Beethoven: Symphony No 3 'Eroica' - Bernstein/NYPO
Strauss: Salome - Karajan/VPO, Behrens etc
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 5; Serenade to Music - Boult/LPO & soloists
Berlioz: Les Troyens - Davis/ROH Orchestra, Veasey, Vickers etc
Dvorak: Symphony No 8 - Kubelik/Berlin PO
Mahler: Symphony No 5 - Barbirolli/New Philharmonia
Mozart: Figaro;Don Giovanni;Zauberflote - Bohm & various orchestra & soloist - a hefty 11 LP box, my mainstay in Mozart opera for years
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique - Davis/LSO (Philips) - despite the numerous rivals in my collection still my favourite
Nielsen: Symphony No 5 - Horenstein/New Philharmonia Orchestra

[Maestro267]

Mahler: Complete Symphonies (mainly CBSO/Rattle)
Autumn 2007: Went looking for just Symphonies 2 & 3, so to come back home with all 10 of them in a box was mindblowing!

Brian: Symphony No. 1 (loads of choirs and orchestras/Lenard)

5CD box including Delius' A Mass of Life, Howells' Hymnus Paradisi and Hadley's The Hills, along with a bunch of other stuff by those composers.

Suk: Orchestral Works (4CDs, Czech PO/Neumann, Pesek)

Messiaen Edition (18CDs, my biggest boxset to date)

Lloyd: A Symphonic Mass (Bournemouth SO/Lloyd)

Bantock: Celtic Symphony; Hebridean Symphony (Royal PO/Handley)

Elgar: The Apostles (London PO/Boult)

British Symphonic Collection (10CDs, cond. Bostock)

Daugherty: Philadelphia Stories/UFO (Colorado SO/Alsop)

[André]

That Delius/Howells/Hadley box set is superb. Magnificent but unfairly neglected choral masterpieces.

[Sergeant Rock]

Beethoven: Symphony No 3 'Eroica' - Bernstein/NYPO

Sarge and the boys

[Zeus]

Brahms - String Sextets Nos. 1 and 2 - L'Archibudelli [Sony Vivarte]
Tchaikovsky - Suite No. 3, Serenade for Strings - Kirill Kondrashin & the Moscow Philharmonic [Melodiya]
Bartók - String Quartets Nos. 1-6 - Juilliard Quartet [Columbia] [1963]
Schumann - Kreisleriana & Kinderszenen - Martha Argerich [DG]
Schubert - String Quintet D. 956 - Taneyev Quartet & Mstislav Rostropovich [Westminster]
Beethoven - String Quartet Op. 130/133 - Hagen Quartett [DG]
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-32 - Paul Badura-Skoda [Naïve Astrée]
Janáček - String Quartets Nos. 1-2 - Panocha Quartet [Supraphon]
Schubert - Piano Sonatas D. 958-960 - Andreas Staier [Teldec]
Schubert - Symphonies Nos. 1-8 - Frans Brüggen & the Orchestra of the 18th Century [Philips]
Shostakovich - String Quartets Nos. 1-15, Piano Quintet & Trio - St. Petersburg String Quartet [Hyperion]

I think that's 10.

Smooth, very smooth!